


Baggage? No Baggage Here

by Shade_Penn1



Series: Croft and Son [4]
Category: Devil May Cry, Tomb Raider (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Just one though, Lara/Sam if you squint, Mother-Son Relationship, Original Character(s), POV Alternating, because Nero is a total shipper for them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-01 07:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18331820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shade_Penn1/pseuds/Shade_Penn1
Summary: Nero isn't happy to be meeting some guy his mother is seeing, but he's going to try.





	Baggage? No Baggage Here

Lara wasn't sure how to approach this subject, but she figured over dinner was the best time. "You know, I was thinking perhaps we could go out for dinner next week."

  
Nero's nose wrinkled, more so than when he looked at his green vegetables. "Will I have to wear a suit?" Lara nodded, and Nero groaned. "They make me look so dorky though; isn't a school uniform bad enough?"

  
"I happen to think you look very cute in them." Lara said primly. Nero's lower lip jutted out, and she smiled a little. "And this is...a bit of a special occassion. You see, I've begun seeing someone recently and before it gets serious I want you to meet him."

Nero stilled in his seat, and he slumped down. "So it's not Sam?"

Lara's cheeks reddened. Why did he always ask that whenever she managed to bring up her scant dating life? "No, it's not." she said, not for the first time. She was sure this wasn't going to stop being the last either. "I think you'll like him; his name's David and he's a curator at the natural history museum, and he has a rather extensive library collection."

  
"You already have a lot of books I can read." Nero muttered.

  
"There may be something you can talk about." Lara replied. "Please, just try, for me?"

  
Nero held out for a long time, before he huffed and frowned. "Alright, but only because it's you."

 

* * *

Nero waited until well after dinner and when he was in his room before he called Sam. "Did you know Mom was seeing someone?"

Sam snorted. "Hello to you too." she quipped. "I take it from your tone she told you about David?"

  
Nero scowled. "Traitor, you did know." he flopped back onto his bed, glaring up at the ceiling. "She wants me to  _meet him_."

  
"Who knows, maybe you'll get along with this one." Sam said.

  
Nero frowned deeply. This man wasn't the first guy his mother dated, but rarely it got far enough before Lara wanted to introduce him to whatever boyfriend she had. It eluded him why his mother didn't get together with Sam; she practically lived here anyway, and Nero liked her a lot more than any man his mother went out with..

  
If he was called 'sport' one more time...

  
"David, what kind of name is that? He sounds boring, working in a museum. He's probably stuffy and uptight." Nero grumbled.

  
"You know, your mom does do work in a museum from time to time." Sam said, amused.

  
Nero flushed, and glowered at the ceiling. "Mom's not boring, she's cool." he paused. "Don't tell her I said that."

  
Sam chuckled. "My lips are sealed."

  
Nero relaxed slightly, and rolled over onto his stomach. "I told Mom I didn't care about having a father."

  
"Ah, I see where this is going." Sam replied, and she sighed. "Don't think of it as Lara trying to give you a dad, think of it like her wanting you to be okay with this. You want your mom to be happy too, right?"

  
"I thought she was happy with us - with me." Nero murmured. He rested his chin on the mattress, frowning.

  
"She adores you, the fact she never lets just any guy meet you proves it." Sam said.

  
Nero didn't doubt it. His mother was away on work often, but she once dropped everything to rush home after he got chicken pox to take care of him. "Have you met him?"

  
"No, but he seemed fine from the way Lara described him." The woman replied. "Just between you and me, he probably will be stuffy."

  
Nero snickered. "I guess I can put up with this for now."

  
"'Atta boy!"

  
Nero groaned, burying his face in his arm and hung up before Sam could embarrass him further.

 

* * *

Lara decided not to coo over how her son looked in his tux. She allowed liberties, such as foregoing the bow tie and that he could leave his cuffs undone but had to fasten them when they arrived at the restaurant. His hair was the biggest thing though - she slicked it back with her hand, but decided it looked better down. Nero seemed just as pleased he didn't have to fix his hair.

  
"You're not going to start taking pictures, are you?" Nero grumbled.

  
"There's an idea..." Lara trailed off, and Nero looked horrified. She smiled and ruffled his white locks. "Try not to eat too much for dessert, I don't want you throwing it up afterwards."

  
Nero grumbled under his breath. "It was one time, and it was for the school bake sale." he crossed his arms. "If it we weren't supposed to eat so much they should have told us."

  
Lara shook her head. The chauffeur informed them of their imminent arrival to their destination, and Lara buttoned Nero's cufflinks as the vehicle slowed to a halt. The door opened and she slipped out of the car, Nero following after her. Lara felt his hand grab hers, but he ducked his head when glanced at him, and he crossed his arms.

  
"Where is he then?" he grumbled.

  
"He will be meeting us inside." Lara said, and ushered him to the entrance of the establishment. She placed a hand on Nero's shoulder when they stepped up to the host's podium. "Reservation under 'Croft'."

  
The host smiled warmly and gestured to the dining area. "Yes, right this way."

  
Nero glanced at everything around them. He had been in a restaurant before, but this one was different than their usual spot. For one, there was a skylight in the center of the room and a fountain underneath it. He peered into the pond, and blinked as small fish were swimming about inside.

  
"This place is fancy." he muttered. Lara smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

  
The host stopped at a round table big enough for three or more. "Please, have a seat, and your waiter will be with you shortly."

  
"Thank you." Lara said, and Nero took the seat beside her, immediately grabbing the menu and giving it a cursory glance. "Anything you'd like to try first?"

  
"I don't see soda listed." he mumbled. "So I guess I'll just drink tea." he paused, and glanced to the empty spot on the table. "Do they give out the free bread here too?"

  
Lara raised a brow. "I'm sure they will, don't worry." She swore he'd eat nothing but bread if she let him. At least it meant it was easy feeding him when she was too tired to cook.

  
Nero smiled, but it dropped and he buried his nose into the menu.

  
"Hello, Lara." David said before she turned in her seat. She smiled and let him kiss the back of her hand. His gaze flickered to Nero. "And this is your son...Nero, correct?" she nodded, and David took his seat. "Named him after the Roman emperor?"

  
"In part." Lara admitted. In truth, she gave birth to Nero while in Rome and it was night out; she was too drained and exhausted to come up with something else. "I'm quite fond of short names." she caught Nero's shoulders shake a little, but he was likely stifling his laughter.

  
David nodded, though his smile became a bit strained. He picked up his menu and skimmed through it. "I've heard the duck here is superb."

  
"I'll have to try it." Lara replied idly. Only when the waiter stopped by with the bread rolls and orders for beverages, did Lara decide to gauge how awkward this was going to be. "I need to step out for a moment, I'll be right back."

 

* * *

Nero's stomach grumbled and he grabbed a warm bread roll. He glanced at his mother's empty seat, and then at David. He tried not to scowl at him, reminding himself to try. "You..are a curator?"

  
David nodded, though he seemed just as uncomfortable. "Yes, I'm in charge of the ancient relics division in the museum." his eyes flickered to Nero's hair. "I'm...quite surprised you were allowed to dye your hair so early."

  
Nero couldn't stop the glower from forming. It wasn't 'sport', but the remarks about his hair were just as annoying. "It's not dyed, it's natural." He didn't even know the man who sired him and hated him for the hair alone.

  
"Is that so? Whoever your father is must have had a genetic mutation."

  
_Whoever_. Something about the word set Nero on edge, his teeth grinding together. "I don't know anything about that." he muttered.

  
"Lara said you were smart, but I'm certain any parent would say such things about their child." David replied curtly.

  
Nero's hands balled into fists under the table. He wanted to kick him. Kick him so much, but that would make a scene, and his mother would be upset. "My mom told you about me and you didn't run the other way?" He wasn't naive, much as Sam and his mother thought. Ignorant, maybe.

  
David shrugged slightly. "I didn't see much in doing so. Everyone comes with their own baggage."

  
Nero jerked his legs under his chair, or he really might just ruin the evening.

 

* * *

When Lara returned to the table, everything  _seemed_  normal and there were no dirty looks thrown their way. So, no one had caused a scene, that was a good sign, right? She picked up the tea which arrived. "I hope you two are getting along." she ventured to say.

  
David smiled. "We haven't gotten on each other's nerves."

  
Nero nodded, his returning smile rather sharp. "That's right." he said, but glanced back at the table.

  
Lara kept an eye on her son. She wasn't sure whether he was just unsure of how to interact with David, or he was just avoiding saying something awkward. Perhaps unintentional, the rest of the dinner turned out to be a bit strained. By the end of it, it was as though no one really talked much at all.

  
David escorted them to the car outside, and Nero climbed in without a word back and slammed the door shut. The man smiled, but it was sheepish. "I take it we could all use a break after this awkward night."

  
Lara resisted wincing. So it hadn't just been her who noticed. "We can try again some other night. I hope you and Nero got along...at least a little."

  
"It could have been worse." David replied. "He was a bit touchy about his hair though."

  
Lara nodded. "Children at school teased him about it quite a bit."

  
"Yes, well, I suppose he'll be able to tough it out when he's at boarding school."

  
Lara went still, the half-formed smile on her lips freezing. "Come again?"

  
David blinked. "You are sending him away for school, aren't you? I thought we might be able to have a more formative relationship with no...distractions. And the boy could certainly use a refresher on how to speak proper English."

  
It took a moment for Lara to fully absorb what was being said, unsaid, and for her to read between the lines. Her blood boiled, but she managed to keep her voice calm. "My son speaks just fine, and the only time I expect him to leave me is for university - and if anyone thinks distancing my son from me will change anything, they are severely mistaken. Nero is my number one priority."

  
"Aren't you being a bit...coddling? How can your son grow up if you're trying to smother him?" David questioned.

  
Lara kept an even tighter hold on the anger simmering to its peak. "I had thought you were a gentleman who could understand the responsibility I have to my family. I think any other meeting we have will have to take a raincheck. Forever. Good night, _sir_."

  
With that, Lara climbed into the car. Her hands were balled into fists on her knees, and she wasn't sure whether the car was shaking or she was. She caught Nero eyeing her warily, and her stomach sank. "You heard all that, didn't you?"

  
Nero bit his lip, and nodded. "You mean it though? You'd never send me away? Not...not even for your boyfriend?"

  
Lara wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "No one who could even suggest such a thing doesn't deserve to be with us. If they can't accept you, it would never work out."

  
"So, does this mean you'll be with Sam then?" Nero asked, smiling cheekily.

  
Lara rolled her eyes. Of course that would be what he got from this.


End file.
